New Divide
by disneychic248c
Summary: Jenna didn't have the best home life, at all. It never is when you have an abusive father. One day, her home is invaded, and the world as she knew it is flipped. She struggles to survive amongst a ragtag crew of her friends. And she thought high school was her biggest problem...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **Hello! Thank you for checking out my story. I appreciate it! This is my first _Red Dawn_ fic, and it has bounced around my head for several months. I had the first three chapters done, and then I lost sight. But cleaning my old laptop, I found several of my old stories, and am starting to work on them again. Please let me know what you think with a review! This is from the recent remake, but it will only be based off of it. Once the story progresses, it will start to lead off on its own path. I have lots of ideas up my sleeves, so I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from _Red Dawn_, any familiar places or things, nor do I make any money from writing this. Strictly entertainment purposes. Jenna is my OC, and is the only character belonging to me.

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><p>I groan softly to myself, feeling several muscles in my legs and arms protesting against my fall. I glance around, seeing I am circled, and taste the blood faintly on my lip. I wipe it off before slowly rising to my feet again. All I hear is laughter, as I am now facing the leader of the group. She smirks at me, faintly, and before I have time to react, I am thrown against a wall of lockers. I hear someone, as I sink to the ground, and as I look back, the 'popular' girls have all vanished, and a familiar blonde is by my side, helping me up.<p>

"Thanks, Erica." I mutter, wiping my lip again as I stand. "You're the only cheerleader I can stand." I joke to her, and she smiles at me. I grab my discarded book bag and the two of us head off to our science class together.

"It's no problem." She smiles back to me, and once we get to class, I sit at my table in the back, not really caring to be bothered. Matt Eckert walks in not too long and sits with Erica at the table in front of me. We exchange greetings and small talk until my lab partner walks in, just before the bell rings. Robert sits down beside me, and I smile my greeting at him, since the teacher has already began talking about the lesson plan. He nods and smiles back, and I catch his eyes flicker to my chin, and I'm sure he sees the purple discoloration already. I duck my head, fishing out my notebook from my pack before taking notes.

It felt like class was over early, and I shoved my books into my bag again, seeing the class emptying out. I pulled the straps over my back as Erica and Matt walked out, excited about the game tonight. I let out a small breath before glancing behind me, seeing Robert. "Hey." He says, and I smile lightly at him. "Are-are you alright?" He asks, tilting his head slightly. I glance down, before meeting his gaze.

"Yes, I'm fine Robert." I nod at him, and he doesn't seem to buy it, but nods back. I walk into the hall with him, happy to be done school for the weekend now. I let out another sigh before I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look over, seeing Robert behind me, and see concern in his eyes. "You're going to the game tonight, right?" I ask, already knowing the answer, simply asking to avoid certain topics.

"Uh, yeah. Going to be doing some stuff for the podcast on the school website." Robert nods, with a faint chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. I smile back at him, and nod. "What about you?"

"Yeah, probably. I guess I will see you there?" I ask, pushing my hands in my pockets. He nods, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips before he looks at me again. "I should get going. I have a lot of school work to finish before the game." I curl my fingers into a small wave as I back away, making my way towards the main entrance. I hear him behind me again.

"Are you going to the usual place after the game?" I hear him and I think for a second before shrugging. "If I can find a ride over, sure." He smiles again, nodding and walking back, towards the opposite side of the building.

"I'll find you towards the end." He declares before turning and walking down the hallway. I nod at his back before walking to my locker, swapping books, and started my walk for home. It only took about twenty minutes to arrive home, and I open the front door, and attempt to quickly make my way upstairs.  
>"Where are you running off to so quickly?" I hear from the living room and I grit my teeth together, mentally cursing at myself. I take a step back, and walk into the living room and bow my head slightly.<p>

"I just wanted to get all of my homework finished, father." I say to him, not daring to look up at him directly. I stare at his shoes, watching as they uncross and he stands, walking closer to me. I want to close my eyes, but I know it would only make matters worse. I feel my hair pulled, and my head snaps straight up, eyes now pointing at the ceiling as there is an unbelievable amount of pain in my scalp.

"Well, looks like you can't even defend yourself at school. I wouldn't be surprised if a freshman did that to you." He mumbles, and I feel my jaw clench. I am slammed against the wall, and hold in the cry of pain. He advances again, before knocking me to the ground, sending a kick to my stomach. I curl up, holding onto my stomach. I can taste the blood in my mouth again, and hear him going back to the sofa. Slowly, I grab my bag, and fumble my way upstairs, closing the door behind me.

It really doesn't take much time for my work to be completed, and I jump into the shower, washing the day's pain off my body. I slip out, grabbing one of the nicer shirts I own and quickly get dressed. I let my hair fall, naturally straight against my back before slowly walking down stairs. "Father?" I ask, walking into the living room. I glance around, but he isn't in sight. I continue to look, but he isn't home at all. I sigh, defeated before grabbing a sheet of paper, scribbling a note for him, putting it on the fridge.

I hang my head, thinking about my broken family. My mother left not too long after I was born, and I was with my Dad all the time. It was great up until I was ten, and he died from his battle with heart disease. I had to be put into adoption, and not too long after, I was adopted by the man I now call Father. His wife died just before, and he wanted to find something to remind himself of her. Which, happened to be me. He used to tell me I looked a lot like her. Up until I was fourteen, that is when the abuse began.

First it was just a little remark here, and there. Nothing too much. It would hurt, but I just kind of bared it, since I didn't know better. Last year is when he actually started getting violent. A stray smack, or push. It just continually got worse. The worst had been being shoved down the stairs. I knew I should have told someone, but I only had a couple of months until my eighteenth birthday, and I could just leave, rather than go through the process of finding a new foster home.  
>I make my way over to the bathroom, and start applying my make up to hide the bruise on my chin. Once I have it almost finished, I hear the doorbell. I glance around, nervously before walking to the door, peeking through. I open the door with a smile. "Robert! What are you doing here?" I ask, opening the door to allow him inside, something my Father would have slapped me for. "I didn't expect you.."<p>

"Well, I noticed you walk to school, so I figured I would save you a trip. I pass by here anyway." He said, stepping inside. Robert looked around my house before smiling at me.

"It's alright, really." I try to say, but he cuts me off, shaking his head.

"Well, I am already here. So come on, Jay." He nods over his shoulder to his car and I bite my lip, nodding.

"Alright. Let me just grab my stuff, ok?" I jog back to the bathroom, put a couple quick finishing touches on my face before grabbing my purse and sweater, walking out the door with him. Locking the door behind us, we walk to his car, and climb in. The ride was almost completely silent, and I took the few minutes to watch the road. I bit my lip, knowing Father would be highly upset. I let out a sigh, and felt a hand on my arm.

"Are you sure your alright?" Robert asks, glancing over to me. I nod weakly.

"It's just.." I catch myself. Honestly, Robert is a nice guy, and I could tell him just about anything. "Nothing." I nod to him and I can tell he doesn't believe me. "Really, Robbie. If I have to tell anyone anything, you'd be first." I smile as we park in the parking lot beside the foot ball field.

"Tell what?" He asked, getting out of the car and I stop, thinking. Before I realize it, my door is open and I look up at him.

"Just anything.. Important." I mutter, climbing out. I grab my purse and walk to the stands with him, and we find Daryl. I wave and sit beside him as the two boys talk. I haven't known Daryl for as long but I know he is a nice guy too.

"Alright, I will be back in a few. Got to get some footage." Robert says, holding up his camera phone before disappearing down the bleachers and onto the sidelines. Daryl and I fell into polite conversation about school and homework, and before long, Robert was back, and sat in the small space between Daryl and I. We watched most of the game like this, and Robert would film a bit here and there, until the end. He decided to go down for the last five minutes, and Daryl and I waited in the stands, after the game finished. Daryl and I made our way back down, finding Robert fairly easily after most people left already.

"Alright, lets get going. Are you coming with us, Jenna?" Daryl asks, and I just nod in return. We climb into Robert's car and head over to the local sports bar and diner most people go to after games. The three of us manage to find a booth, and quickly sit down, smiling at our luck. We ordered a few burgers and fries.  
>"So, I have never been here before. Is this like, some tradition or something? After games?" I asked the pair, running my hands over my jeans nervously. I never was one to have friends, and I never hung out with anyone outside of school, except for Erica for a couple school projects. The two males looked at me, mouths open slightly as our drinks were brought over and I bit my lip, regretting speaking.<p>

"Yeah, practically everyone in town comes down here after games, well, at least the big games." Daryl explained. I just nodded lightly, going to play with a strand of my black hair before wincing, my scalp was still tender from earlier. I tossed my hair over my back and took a drink of my soda before looking around. I noticed Matt and Erica walk in several minutes later and waved, and they ended up joining a few other foot ball players, whom I didn't know. The three of us made small talk until our food came out.

"You guys won't miss these, right?" Was all I heard, and I looked up, seeing an older female, with a few french fries between her fingers, I glanced between the two, now hormonal, boys on either side of me.

"No, of course not."

"Not at all, Toni."

They spoke together, and I just ducked my head slightly as she walked away. I noticed Daryl and Robert exchange looks before going back to eating as if nothing happened. We fell into a small conversation about the game before a loud pop was heard and the power in the whole place was out. People started to leave, and it didn't take long before everyone was ushered out. I had to grab onto Robert and Daryl so I wouldn't trip over anything, but still managed to let out a yelp when I felt something cold down my back.

"What's wrong?" Robert asked, and I just shook my head.

"I think somebody spilled something on me." I told him, having to lean in a bit closer due to the commotion of the crowd. He leaned back, glancing over my back before nodding.

"Smells like beer too." Daryl said from beside me and I felt like I was going to go into panic mode. If father caught me like this, I don't even know what he would do. Robert led us to his car and dug around in the trunk for a moment.

"Here." He handed me a black and white button up shirt that was about a size or two too large, but it would have to do.

"Um," I began, looking down at myself, then around. "Where can I change? I don't want to ruin your seats." I muttered to Robert.

"Might be best, so my parents don't kick my ass." He chuckled before glancing around. It seemed as though everywhere had lost power.

"Ok, how about behind the restaurant? Just keep watch for me?" I asked, walking around to the back side of the restaurant. The pair nodded, and walked over by a dumpster. I ducked on the other side, quickly pulling off my shirt and attempting to wipe my back off before throwing on the new one. I buttoned it quickly before coming back out. I stared at my shirt with a small sigh, shoving it roughly into my purse as we walked back to the car. "Thanks again, Robert." I smiled at him and climbed into the back, glancing at my watch. It was already midnight.

The ride to Daryl's consisted mainly of the boys talking about the game. I kept playing with my fingers as I listened to the radio, trying to relax. Father was bound to be passed out drunk by now. Once Robert dropped Daryl off, we waved goodbye and I climbed into the front seat. For the first time since being in the car, a song I liked came on, and I started bobbing my head to the song. Robert noticed, and with a smile, turned it up. Except about halfway through it cut off for a news report about the black out.

"You know, even though we didn't get to talk much, I had a nice time tonight." He told me, after lowering the volume again. I smiled over at him with a nod.

"Me too. It was nice to get out of the house." I told him, watching him drive.

"We should do it again some time." He told me, and I wasn't really expecting it. I grinned, nodding again.

"Yeah? Yeah, we should. I'd like that."

"Totally." Robert agreed as he pulled up in front of my house. I smiled at him before grabbing my purse and unbuckling myself. "So I will see you in school on Monday." He smiled, and I agreed, and before I could help it, leaned over and gave him a hug.

After a few moments of feeling his larger hands on my back, I pulled away, mumbled a bye and waved once I got to my door. I took a deep breath and carefully unlocked the door, trying to make as little sound as possible, in case father wasn't passed out. I stepped in and turned to close the door, waving as Robert left. I carefully closed the door, locking it. As I tip toed up the stairs, I saw father asleep on the couch, another empty bottle on the floor under him. I walked upstairs, closed my door and got dressed for bed, consisting of sweatpants and Robert's shirt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Alright here is chapter two! I know, it has taken me forever, and I am SUPER sorry. I have had so many things going on. I got a new job, working overnights was hard for me to get into a set pattern. Then we had two week vacation away from the snow. Then we got back, and just been settling back into the pattern. Ugh so sorry! I've been having a lot of plot bunnies making home in my head for LOTS of different things, so I have also been trying to work on those, to at least get the ideas written down. And then our water pipes busted. Ugh, sorry anyway, for the delay!

_Reviews_:  
><em>Guest<em>, Thank you for taking the time to comment. Watch for the lang? I assume you mean language, as in swear words? Well, I do put them in there, because I feel like a group of teenagers thrown into this position (or just teens in general) swear often. I will take your advice into account and try to limit it, but I am sure that they will still pop up.  
><em>EvilBunny101<em>, I am glad you find this interesting. I am trying to make this stand out a bit from other 'follows-the-movie-along' stories here. Most of the other stories was about a sister, or the cheerleader classmate. Which I do still enjoy reading, but I like my work to stick out of the norm, hence her crappy home life. Since everyone has one bad thing in their lives, in my thoughts. Speaking of her father, you may enjoy this chapter. Hehe. As for the errors, I'm sorry. I wrote this a while ago, and didn't catch that. I will try to take your constructive criticism and make it better. I haven't really, really wrote anything in several years, so forgive me for being rusty. Another reason why this took so long, I have been trying to do some critical corrections on it. Thank you, hopefully you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from _Red Dawn_, any familiar places or things, nor do I make any money from writing this. Strictly entertainment purposes. Jenna is my OC, and is the only character belonging to me.

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><p>A car alarm blaring down the street awakens me the next morning, and I groan slightly, rolling out of bed. It is just after dawn, telling by the light from the window. The power is still out and I groan again, realizing I won't get any more sleep when dogs start barking. I tiredly grab a pair of jeans and get dressed, putting Robert's shirt on the bed. I guess I will have to wash it and have it ready for school on Monday. As I try to figure out how to hide it from my father, the house shakes and catches me off guard. I walk to the window, and peek out. The sky is littered with airplanes, and I notice little things falling. In my tired state, it takes me a moment to realize those little things are people. Probably not friendly, either. I stay glued to the window, watching the first of their parachutes open before scrambling to my closet. I grab my duffel bag and stuff it full of clothing and anything I have of significant value.<p>

I zip it shut before I hear the front door slam open. I begin to run to my door, but stop when I hear yelling, but I can't make out what is being said. I dive under my bed with my duffel bag once I realize it is a foreign language. I hold my breath, clasping my hands over my mouth as I hear gunfire downstairs. Tears leak from my eyes, and I tense my body as I hear heavy footsteps leading to my door. Being kicked open, I see two pairs of boots check my closet and bathroom before more words are exchanged, and then leave, and I would guess to check the rest of the house. I stay there until I am sure everyone has left and make my way downstairs. I can't bare to look into the living room, but I find myself there, seeing father in almost the same state as last night, except blood sprayed all over. Tears leak again, and my legs carry me out the back door.

It is as if I am on auto pilot, but I really don't know where I am headed. These men are everywhere, and I duck through yards and bushes to avoid them. I peek my head out of the bush a few streets over and see several people cowering in a sort of huddle, with foreign men all around them. I go to turn, but see something from the corner of my eye. Daryl is on the side of his house, peeking out with Robert. I carefully make my way over, standing behind them, and it takes the pair a moment to notice me. I go to speak, but tires squealing stops me.

The three of us make our way into the bushes I was hiding in and notice that Matt's brother, Jed, had driven up a few houses down. I faintly hear Erica's voice, and it pains me, seeing her running towards the truck, but getting thrown down by one of the guards. We are startled when the truck starts to reverse, coming towards us, and the three of us run out, waving Jed and Matt down. "Come on! Jump in!" was all it took for us to get a running start as Jed whipped the truck around, and the three of us, and another jump into the truck's bed. I land with a painful thud against the other person and I notice him as one of the boys from school, Lenny. "Go, go, go!"

The truck speeds off, away from the gun shots echoing behind us. I look at the three others in the back before yelling over the wind. "What is going on?" I look at them as we peer over the side of the truck, looking around. No one has an answer, and I guess they're as clueless as I am. A few streets down, the truck stops and I look up, seeing a blockade at the cross street, and two cars. "What do we do?" asks the driver of one of the cars, and Matt tells him to follow. I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat, and cling to Daryl, who is next to me. I really hope Jed knows where he is going. The ride becomes very bumpy, and we are all being bounced around in the back. All we can do is hold on as tight as we can, and try not to get thrown out.

"Damn it, I wish these things had seat belts." I mutter to myself, hitting my head once more against the bed's bottom. A moment later, we hit more even ground, and I assume it is a road or path, but don't dare to look up.

"Jed!" I hear Matt and before I can react, we are thrown against the side of the truck, in a tangled mess. Twisting metal, broken glass and tires squealing fills the air. Everything stills for a moment, as the engine in our truck stalled out. I glance around, realizing how screwed we were. Not only did we get hit, but we got hit by foreign invaders with big guns. I hear Jed fumbling with the keys and finally the truck starts.

"Go!" Robert says beside me, and we duck back down as the truck takes off again. It is silent, save for the engine and I let out a sigh of relief. My hands are still shaking, but I manage to look at the others. Robert is beside me, and Daryl is on his other side.

"What happened to Lenny?" I ask, and I seem to be the first to notice his absence. I grip the wall tighter, and crush my eyes shut, taking deep breaths. The other two look around, and back at me.

"When we got hit.. he must have.." Daryl starts, but he can't bring himself to say it. I try to block out reality, and focus on holding on. This all has to be a dream. So much destruction couldn't be humanly possible, could it? It only takes us about half an hour, without pursuit, to get to the Eckert's family cabin. We all sit up, now in different corners, and let out shaky breaths.

"Anyone hurt?" I hear Matt beside us, and for the moment all of us are silent. I press my hands against my jeans, feeling sore from holding on so tightly. I glance at the others, who seem as shaken up as I am.

"I don't know. I.. I don't think so," I hear Daryl reply in a soft voice, and I just sit there, holding onto my duffel bag. I glance down at my jeans and curiously peel my hands away, seeing a faint red line.

"I.. I must have caught myself on the truck," I mutter, not sure anyone heard, until Matt comes over and takes a look at my hand.

"Come on, I have a medical kit in the cabin," He helps me out, and we walk inside. The cabin is nice, and wide open, and he sits me on the couch. "Stay there. I will be right back, alright?" I nod to him, looking at my hand. It isn't bleeding profusely, but still a few moments later, he comes back. Matt cleans the cut, and I barely wince, just from the shock of the day, and he wraps it securely. "Alright, now let's see what is laying around, alright?" I nod at him again and the two of us split up, taking different rooms, I come back with blankets, pillows, and a small hand pistol I found in a night stand. I hand them to Matt, before sitting down on the couch again with the others. I see Robert and Daryl are working to get reception on the television, and I sigh, seeing an older man light up the screen.

"No, no, go back." Robert directs Daryl, and finally sound comes in as well. I hold my breath, watching with the others.

"Coming to you live from Seattle. If you are seeing this broadcast, you are in a part of the country that is no longer controlled by the government of the United States." Static breaks up pieces here and there, but the over all message is clear. "Don't go outside, unless it is an absolute emergency. Accidents are more likely to happen when people move about unnecessarily." We all start to mutter, glancing around. "If you've become separated from someone, and you don't know where they are, a hotline has been set up to help you. If-"

The video is cut by Jed, angrily hitting the television off, and everyone starts to grumble at him. "Bullshit." He says before walking out of the room. We look at each other, before Robert speaks.

"What does that mean?"

"It means we're screwed." A male I'm not familiar with spoke, looking around at us. I glance up at Robert, and all around. Everyone has the same look, fright. I bite my lip, and look at my lap as everyone wanders off to their own small section of the room.

"Robert?" I mutter, looking up at him. He looks down, and slides down onto the couch beside me. "He.. He's dead. My father. They killed him. They would have gotten me too.." I whimper softly, and I feel the tears again. "Why?" I mutter, and I feel his arm wrap around me, and I lean into him. "I have nothing to go to. No parents, again." I mutter against his shoulder. Even if he wasn't getting any father of the year awards, it is a scary thought being all alone again.

"What do you mean, Jenna?" I hear him ask gently. I let myself sniffle, trying to fight the tears away.

"My mom, she left not too long after I was born. My dad.. My real dad.. Died when I was ten. And now, the only person I really had, no matter what he did, is gone," I sniffle, rubbing my eyes, and trying to hide my face against Robert's shoulder.

"What did he do, Jay?" His voice is very soft, and I grip his shirt, sniffling more. "It's alright, you can tell me. Remember?" I nod.

"He was great, he was the best, happiest person I had met... You know, just.. then a couple years ago, started saying these nasty little remarks. 'Oh, you look like a hooker in that outfit' or 'You're good for nothing' It was within the last six months or so.." I trailed off, not being able to finish my statement. He pulls me closer, and I feel his head on top of mine.

"Jay.. I had no idea." I hear, and he gently rocks me, as I let my tears from everything that happened today out. "Did he ever..?" I hear him start, but fail for words. I pull away, and look at him. It does take me a moment before a catch on, and shake my head.

"No, it never got that far.. He just pushed me around a lot," I muttered, looking away. "I didn't say anything, because my eighteenth birthday is in two months, and I knew I'd be out of there then..." I trail off, muttering a bit.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm here for you," Robert tells me, and pulls me against him once more. I feel another hand on my back, and turn, seeing Daryl and Matt standing behind me. I smile weakly at them and Matt gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We are all here for you.."

"Thanks guys," I mutter, wiping my hand across my face. I lean back in the sofa, and smile up at Robert. I mouth a 'Thank you' to him and he smiles slightly back, leaning back with me. Daryl sits beside me and we continue on to lighter discussions, trying to keep our minds away from the inevitable.

"Alright guys, let's see what we've got and start shutting down for rest," Jed announces some time later, as he walks back in. We separate, going about splitting up blankets, pillows, and sorting clothes. About five minutes pass, and everyone freezes, hearing the distinct sound of an engine nearing the house. "Cut the lights. I'll be back," We watch Jed walk out before everyone jumps up, scrambling to the lights. The other girl and I run upstairs, making sure all the lights are out before jogging down, and watching from a window as the final light in the living room area is shut off. I can tell everyone is holding their breaths, getting ready to run again.

"Enough of this!" The male I'm not familiar with says not too far and I hear him walk out.

"Hey!" I whisper-shout after him, and everyone turns, seeing the door swing shut. Turning back to the window, I can see Jed faintly in the moonlight, and he raises his hand to the truck. A gunshot fills the air, and we all rush after the other male, meeting a very pissed off Jed.

"No! Stop! Hold your fire." Jed yells back, and Matt is at the front of the group, rifle in his hands. "What did I tell you to do?!" He yells at Matt, who denies firing. "You almost took my head off!" I went to defend Matt but the male from before beats me to it.

"I thought they got past you." He says, with a hand pistol gripped in his right hand. Once Jed sees, he turns his attention to him.

"Give me the gun."

"I'm not giving you dick," The male says, and I roll my eyes. "Who the hell put you in charge anyway?"

"Really? You're going to get sassy with a marine? Dumb ass," I mutter, loud enough for him to hear. He looks over as Jed walks towards him.

"Let's compromise," Jed says, before grabbing the gun with one hand, and shoving him to the ground with the other. The male falls to the ground, and rolls for a moment, before getting up and looking pissed. He starts to walk back towards Jed, who puts his arms out. "What? More?" At this, the guy backs off, and slinks back to the cabin with his friend. I see two people get out of the truck and exchange words with Matt. I remember seeing them last night at dinner. Robert, Daryl and myself walk back into the cabin, sitting on the couch.

The others follow shortly after and eat a small meal. I help Matt and another male, who introduced himself as Greg, set up sleeping arrangements, and we settle in. Toni, the girl from dinner, and Julie, Greg's sister, take the couch, while the rest of us scatter across the floor. Even with the chaos of the day, it only takes a few minutes before I fall asleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thank you so much to those of you who take the time to read, review, favorite, and follow. It means a lot, and I will try to make updates regularly, or at least as much as I can. I am also writing a _Guardians of the Galaxy_ story, so if you would like, feel free to swing over and check it out. I will probably be posting the first chapter in the next couple days, once I am confident enough in it and figure out a title for it. But please leave any suggestions, feedback, or constructive criticism. I try my best to make my stories to the best of my abilities, but sometimes I miss something. Thank you again, and I will catch y'all next time! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Since it was so long from posting, until I updated, I am pushing this chapter out a bit earlier than expected. I am going to be splitting my time between this and my _Guardians of the Galaxy _story, which I just posted, titled _Worlds Apart_! I would love it for you guys to check into that as well! I will have lots of free time from RIGHT NOW, through christmas night, since I have off work and will be spending most of my time on here, since we don't do a whole big thing for the holidays, and my boyfriend will be away visiting his family. So it will just be me, the computer, my siblings, and my adorable 15 month niece. And of course, they're cutting hours at my job, so I will have more time after christmas, as well. So I'm hoping to have Chapter 4 up by New Years! I'm going to try and stick to a plan, updating roughly once a week or two weeks to both stories. Don't hold me to it, since I am horrible at updating! :/ Since I have so any ideas, I just want to get them out.

_Reviews: _

Evilbunny101, I'm glad for your help. I appreciate the help, and making it the best I can. I hate when I do something 'half-assed' and it makes me feel better knowing that I managed to improve it for you. I'm glad you thought that, I love that song! I am a huge country fan, and that song was a bit of an idea for everything going on in Jenna's life. That may have been a little bit of an influence in this story, in general. Without spoiling the plot bunnies you helped me come up with, there will be more of the 'daddy drama' weaving in and out of the story, so I hope you like it! Gotta make things interesting, right? ;) Awe, you're making me blush, I never thought I would get such compliments! I am working on internal dialog, that is one of my weak points, I know. I am glad to have it pointed out, so I can own up to it, and work on it more. I have tried to put some into this, so tell me if its terrible! I am very grateful for your reviews! So I would like to dedicate this chapter to you! I hope you enjoy it!

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing, just Jenna, my OC.

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><p>I slept easily until the morning, when the soft morning light, and Jed's voice woke me up. "..took off with all the food. I need you guys to take anything we can use, put it in the truck, and hide it in the woods. And that prick knows where we are, so keep your eyes open. Matty, come with me. Let's go, get up!" The brothers take the rifles and head out, leaving the rest of us to get anything we can, and put it in the truck. It takes us about fifteen minutes before everything is packed and we have Danny, one of the football players from the game, drive the truck into the woods. About half an hour later, Danny comes running back, and we watch him, confused.<p>

"We need to go. On my way back, I started hearing trucks. Let's move, now," He tells us, and we all run out the back door and into the woods. Once we have covered about a mile, we stop, ducking for cover behind a log. "We need to find Jed and Matt before they walk into that!"

"We will stay here at the fallen tree, and keep an eye on what happens," Robert said, nodding his head to me. "Stay low, keep out of sight." I nod back as the rest of them run away from the cabin, and disappear down a hill. Robert pulls out a pair of binoculars, watching and I bite my lip as I watch. Trucks pull up, and I watch people starting to climb out.

_'Is this really happening?'_ I think, looking around, to make sure we found a hidden enough spot. I nervously wring my hands together, fidgeting a bit with my bandaged hand. _'What if the others can't get to Jed and Matt in time?' _

He looks over at me, before putting a hand on mine, causing me to stop my nervous movements.

"As long as we stick with what Jed tells us, I am sure we will be fine." He tries to reassure me, and I nod. I wasn't really sure if he meant to reassure me, or himself.

_'What if they all run into the invaders?'_ We continue to watch, several men getting out, and checking the house. Several minutes pass, and they come back, empty handed obviously. _'Where would we go now?'_

"I wonder if they checked under the beds this time?" I glance over at him, before shrugging. "That's how I managed to get out." I tell him and he smiles faintly back, patting my shoulder. A few more minutes pass, and we hear footsteps behind us. _'They found us! If we run, maybe one of us can escape and get back to somewhere relatively safe.' _We whip around, seeing it is the others, and we all lay down behind the log. I can't keep my hands from shaking. Robert hands over the binoculars to Matt, and Jed uses the scope on the rifle to see. I cower down on the end, beside Daryl.

_'This isn't going to be good. Why are we being hunted down like animals?' _I can't help but think to myself, watching the scene unfold in front of us.

"Son of a bitch. It's Pete." Jed mutters to us, and I squint, making out the blond hair. I grit my teeth before shaking my head. '_After all we did to help him, and he goes and tries to hand us over to the bad guys? I knew he was a jackass!'_

"Holy shit. Daryl, that's your dad." Matt whispers, causing Daryl to climb over Robert to see in the binoculars. I hold my breath, silently hoping nothing goes wrong. Matt's face drops, and he whispers, "Jesus Christ. Dad.."

I bite my lip again to keep silent, and we watch as Daryl's dad is handed a megaphone. "Boys, it's Mayor Jenkins. Captain Cho here, is the acting prefect of this district. Now, he says you boys seriously injured some of his men and he has given me his word, if you turn yourselves in, no one is going to be hurt. Okay? Boys? Daryl? Son? I'd like you to come home." We all turn and glance at Daryl, and you can see that he is torn. I carefully lean over Robert, putting a hand on Daryl's shoulder for a moment before sliding back into place.

_'My family is dead, and I can move on from it, at least. These assholes are trying pull on the boys' families to get them. Pathetic.' _I clench my jaw, grinding my teeth together. I close my eyes, keeping my temper down as visions of flashbacks appear before my eyes.

Father, smiling down at me for the 100 percent I got on my pop quiz. Me, grinning stupidly up at him. Then another flash, and its a few years later. I'm wearing an oversized sweater, holding my math book, and several notebooks as I walk in through the door. He comes up, and grabs me with one hand at my neck, shoving me against the wall. I gasp in the shock, trying to catch my breath as the things fall from my arms. I desperately claw at his hand, trying to get oxygen, but it angers him more. Finally, I am released from his vicegrip as he slaps me, sending me falling down against the wall. I taste the familiar take of blood, but stay in place. I'm too scared to move, as he leans down, glaring at me. "Next time, be home on time." Father turns, walking off to the kitchen. _'I hate you so much, "Father"! I wish you were gone!" _I remember hissing in thought, running up the stairs. That was only a few days before the invasion.

Slowly, I blink back to reality, realizing he is gone, and I am in a better place now. At least the invaders would probably kill me, rather than torture me, and he is finally gone.

"Guys, shouldn't we do what he says?" He asks, looking over at Matt and Jed.

"Don't move." Jed says in a horse whisper. Daryl goes to talk again but Jed turns. "Daryl, shut up." Matt takes the binoculars back, watching as Mr. Eckert walks up and takes the megaphone. "Everybody stay still."

_'There is no way this will end well,' _ I looked, watching the scene unfold. _'Mr. Eckert is a brave and respectable man...'_

I hold my breath, and even from this distance I see how badly injured he is. He is holding his ribs, and it looks like his face is pretty well beaten and bloodied. The click of the megaphone comes, and he begins to talk. "Boys. If you're out there, if you can hear me, listen up. It's a tough situation, all the way around. A lot of tough choices. I love you both. I hope you know that." I have to put my hand over my mouth, slowly sliding against Robert's side. I could already tell, he was saying goodbye. "What I'm going to ask you to do may be very difficult, but I want you boys to do what I would do. I want you to go to war, and stop this piece of shit. Or die trying." Robert wraps his arm around me, and I cling to him, burying my face against his shoulder, not wanting to see what happens next. I hear the click of the megaphone again, and all is silent. I feel the arm around me grow tighter, hear the gunshot and Matt trying to get to his dad. I glance over and see both brothers practically in tears, Jed holding Matt back and keeping him silent. A moment passes before the engine rev to life, and a gentle whoosh of a flame thrower engulfing the house breaks through the air.

I watch the angry flames dance across the cabin, slowly growing in height and speed. I close my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. I feel for Matt and Jed, and I look over at them. They lost their father as well. _'At least Mr. Eckert was a real father. He was there for his children, and actually cared for his kids. He was at their sides during the loss of the their mother, during every game, and every problem. He was a good person, and it pains me to see this happen.' _Everyone is waiting, watching. The flames reach the second story. _'He was more fatherly the one time I met him, than any of the time I spent with Father. Sure, Mr. Eckert may not have been there all the time, which comes with the career of being a police officer, but he would always put the boys before himself.'_

Everyone says hidden for half an hour, once we are sure they're gone. We all make our way back towards where we hid the truck, and thankfully it remained hidden. It doesn't seem to take too long before we are back at the truck, and we all climb in with Jed driving and Matt riding shotgun. I don't know where we are going, but Jed has led us well so far, so he has my trust. I sigh and close my eyes, leaning against the glass separating me from Matt and stare into the tree tops. Some of us try to make conversation, but most of the ride is just silence. I stick to my thoughts, watching the tree tops slowly go by. _'At least I am free. Free of the fear of the next drunken blackout. Free of the fear of hateful remarks. Free of the fear of what it could escalate to. Finally free.'_ My thoughts are interrupted when we get stuck in a mud puddle. Everyone, besides Jed, climbs out and we try rocking the truck out of the rut, and the only outcome is getting our pants covered in mud. I grimace, pushing on the tailgate beside Matt, and we all pause, hearing a helicopter. We all duck under the thicker trees while Jed pulls out his rifle, carefully sneaking through the trees to keep watch.

"They're going to find us." Julie says from beside me, and I hold my breath, as if the helicopter could hear us.

"Guys, what are we even doing up here?" Robert says, from where he is, sitting by the next tree over. "We should just go back. Matt.. I'm sorry. My parents are still down there." I glance at him, but decide to keep my eyes on Jed as he keeps watch and slowly starts making his way back over.

"I'm worried something is gonna happen to my dad." Daryl agrees, and I look over at the pair. "Maybe he can help us." I look down at the ground, seeing the worry and pain on their faces. If I had something to go back to, I'd be worried too.

_'This, right here, is the only thing I have left. Not my home, not my family, just the people around me, hiding with me amongst the trees.'_

"He can't help us, Daryl." Matt says, and I glance at him. He looks worn, as if the last two days he has aged twenty years. I guess we all look about the same. "He's helping them." The three, Daryl, Matt, and Robert go back and forth and I can feel the tension start to build between them.

"Our dad made a choice." Jed breaks up the argument. "And Daryl's dad's gotta make one too. We all do." It is silent, and Robert stands with Daryl, and I feel my breathing hitch.

"We're going home."

"Robert, are you crazy? Didn't you see? They had massive guns when they got to the cabin. If any of us go back, they will kill us. On sight. Don't you understand?" I find myself saying, standing up and walking towards him. He already has his pack over his shoulder, walking back the way we came. He looks at me before shaking his head.

"You heard Daryl's dad." He tells me, and I just walk back over between Greg and Julie, staring at the ground.

"Then I guess this is goodbye." I feel Julie's hand on my shoulder, but I don't move. I hear the two pairs of boots walking away. _'So much for staying together.'_

"Robert, your parents aren't down there." The other female, Toni says, and everything pauses. I look up, shocked at the turn of events, as I can see he is as well. "I saw it. I-I didn't know how to tell you." Everyone takes a moment to absorb the information. It seems as though everyone we've known or loved is dead, or taken.

"We can't go home. We can't keep running. What are we supposed to do?" Julie says from beside me and I look over at her, picking at my sweater.

"I'm going to fight." Jed said, not looking at anyone. He takes a moment, and then looks around at all of us. "I'm going to fight. Now this is easier for me, because I'm used to it. The rest of you are going to have a tougher choice. Look, I don't want to sell it to you." Jed looks between all of us, and I dip my hands into my pockets, watching him, our unspoken leader. "It's ugly, and it's hard. But when you're fighting in your own backyard, and you're fighting for your family, it all hurts a little less, and makes a little more sense. And for them, it's just some place. For us.. For us this is our home."

"I'm in." I step forward, feeling everyone's eyes on me. "Not like I have anything to go back to anyway. I'll stick it out." Jed smiles faintly at me, giving me a curt nod before the others all agree, stepping up with me.

"Alright guys, let's get to work."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So there is chapter three! I'm super excited! I appreciate reviews, and they help motivate me to write more. So please drop me some! As I said in the before Author's note, I posted my _Guardians of the Galaxy_ fan fiction! Titled _Worlds Apart_! So, if you need something Marvel to hold you over until the next chapter, head on over to that story. I am going to try to evenly bounce back and forth, between updates of this and that one. I hope you enjoy both, if you read both! But thank you guys so much for taking time to read my story/stories! Until next time, my lovelies!


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